Luggage case



Dec. 15, 1936. w WINTZ 2,064,046"

LUGGAGE CASE Filed Sept. 28, 19:52 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ///5/77 Mfin/Z BY M M,

ATTORNEY Dec. 15, 1936. INTZ 2,064,046

I LUGGAGE CA5 E Filed Sept. 28, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 (III/IIIIIIIIIIQ! IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY;

Dec. 15, 1936. w w z Q 2,064,046

LUGGAGE CASE Filed Sept. 28, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY} Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES LUGGAGE CASE William Wintz, Oshkosh, Wis., assig'nor to Oshkosh Trunks, Inc., Oshkosh, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 28, 1932, Serial No. 635,155

2 Claims.

This invention relates to wardrobe luggage cases of the portable hand carried type.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved and novel form of garment carrying frame or element for such cases whereby the bulk of the clothing or garments carried by the element is materially reduced by having the attaching or holding members for the garments disposed in spaced relation along the length of the element.

Another object of my invention is to provide the garment carrying frame or element with an extensible portion which when the element is in lowered position over the body of the case is exl5 tended outward beyond the same to hold the portions of the garments where they hang over the element exterior of the case out of contact therewith and thus prevent soiling and tearing of the garments by keeping them out of engagement with the outside of'the case and any of the looking and other fixtures on the wall of the case which the garments overhang.

Another object of my invention is to have this extensible member when extended continue the support for the garments as provided by the element exterior of the case and thus facilitate the packing and unpacking of the element by enlarging its support lengthwise of the garments beyond the relatively restricted confines of the case.

A further object of my invention is to have this extensible member so connected with the element that the member may be readily and easily brought into collapsed relation with the element to fit therewith in the case.

A further object of my invention is to pivotally connect the extensible member to the element so that the member may be swung against the element when collapsed and lie beneath the portions of the garments on the outer side of the element to lift their tail ends clear of the case when swinging the element by the member into and out of that section of the case in which the element is pivotally mounted.

A further object of my invention is to provide a curtain for retaining the packed garments and carrying element therefor in that section of the case in which the element is mounted, as for example the lid section, and for covering the garments to prevent contact thereof with any of the articles packed in the other section of the case when closed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a detachable connection for the curtain whereby the garment carrying element may be freed from the curtain for movement into and out of the lid section of the case when desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide this detachable connection in the form of a rod 7 on the curtain and notched keeper plates therefor on the garment carrying frame whereby byadjusting the rod along the plates the desired tension may be placed on the curtain to keep the garments on the frame closely compacted whe retained in the case.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which V Fig.1 is a perspective view of my improved lug gage case shown in open position with the garment carrying frame and its extensible member disposed out of the lid of the case;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the case showing the garment carrying frame and extensible member in lowered position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the case with the lid open and the garment carrying frame retained in the lid;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the garment carrying frame and extensible member in top plan;

Fig. 5 is a view looking at one side of the garment carrying frame at its trunnion end and showing the keeper plate carried by the frame;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5; V r Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 'll of Fig. 3; and r Fig. 8 ma horizontal sectional viewtaken on line 88 of Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the case to which my invention is applicable is of the box type having hingedly connected, rigid body and lid or cover sections I, 2. The hinge connection between the sections is at the rear of the case, being along the upper edge of the rear wall 3 of the body section, as shown. The lid 2 when closed fits against the upper edge of the body section I, there being a collar 4 fitted in the body section and extending into the lid section to overlie the joint between the. sections.

An upright partition 5 is arranged in the body section I adjacent its rear wall 3 to prevent small articles packed in the body section from falling down on the lower parts of the garmentsat the rear of the case when the latter. is carried'in'an upright or vertical position. The partition 5 may be removably mounted in the case and may be provided on one or both sides with article receiving pockets 6 as shown in Fig. 1'. Upright cleats or strips 1 are provided in the body section I adjacent its front wall to provide a receiving compartment for a removable shallow box-like tray 8 as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. This tray is supported on cross strips 9 as illustrated in Fig. 3. The upper ends of the cleats I extend close to the upper edge of the collar 4 and provide stops for the garment carrying frame when in lowered position.

The garment carrying frame is designed to fit within the lid 2 and occupies the greater portion thereof. In the form shown in the drawings, said frame comprises a pair of side arms H1, H1 rigidly connected together at their inner and outer ends by cross bars ll, l2. The bar II which is at the outer end of the frame is cylindric in form to prevent creasing of the garments when folded or draped thereover. The extensible member for the frame in the particular device shown in the drawings is in the form of a flat board l3 pivotally connected with the bar I l by metal straps l4, l4 looped about the bar and fastened to the board on opposite sides thereof.

The frame is provided with a number of garment attaching rods l5, l5, arranged in spaced relation along the side arms I between the cross bars H and I2 as shown in the drawings. The rods l5 are preferably cylindric in form so that the garments may be draped thereover without creasing. The rods are removably supported in the frame by having their opposite ends releasably connected with the side arms Ill. One form of releasable connection is shown in the drawings, and comprises pins [6, H5 at the opposite ends of the rods and receiving openings therefor in the side arms of the frame. The receiving openings on one arm are in the form of holes drilled in-the arm, while the receiving openings in the other arm are in the form of slots I! cut therein and opening through the upper side of the arm when the frame is in lowered position as shown in Fig. 4. Spring clips [8 are fitted in these notches to releasably retain the rods 15 in the frame when the pins on the rods are pressed into the loops of the clips as shown in Fig. 5. Each rod 15 is provided at its ends with enlarged heads l9 to prevent displacement of the garments from the rods when looped thereover. This is especially advantageous when applying a rod with garment thereon to the frame in that the heads prevent the garment from slipping over the pins at the ends of the rod, and 'thus no opportunity is afforded for catching or tearing the garment in the spring clip when pushing the rod down into the same. The heads also prevent the garment from slipping over the ends of the rod when supported by the rod out of the case.

The frame is pivotally mounted in the lid section -2 adjacent the hinged connection of the lid with the bodyl of the case. This pivotal connection is formed by providing one part with trunnions and the other part with brackets 2| for the trunnions. In the drawings, the trunnions are shown as being carried by the side arms I 0 of the frame adjacent their inner ends. The brackets 2| are secured to the lid 2 on the inner side thereof. The brackets are provided with bayonet slots 22 for the trunnions, thereby permitting the frame to be readily removed from and attached to the lid. Resilient catch members 23 are provided in the lid adjacent its upper or free end as shown in Fig. '7. Each catch member, as illustrated in this figure, comprises a strip of metal bent and arranged to be 'displaceable toward the adjacent wall of the lid as the outer end of the frame passes over the same. The frame may be provided with metal keepers 24 at its outer end to cooperate with the catch members, and hold the frame in the lid.

To pack the case, the frame is swung down into lowered position over the top of the body section I with the extensible member [3 projecting outwardly beyond the front wall of the case as shown in Fig. 2. The frame is supported in this position by its member I3 resting on the upper edge of the collar 4 and its side arms resting on the upper ends of the cleats l as shown in Fig. 3. The desired rod or rods l5 are removed from the frame and one or more garments are folded or draped over each rod while out of the case, whereupon the rods with garments thereon are returned to the frame. The rods are put back on the frame in sequence from the front end of the frame to the rear, it being preferable to place on the rods nearest the front of the frame the shorter garments. As the rods are returned the garments lie over the upper side of the member l3 which serves as a packing table and the user of the case may adjust the folded portions of the garments while so supported by the table to smooth them out and remove wrinkles therefrom. The outer or free end of the table I3 is provided with a recess 25 which has outwardly projecting lugs 26 at its opposite ends. This construction provides a receiving recess for the garments extending over the table and permits the user toadjust the garments to lie between the lugs 26 and thus dispose the garments in proper position to fold back over the frame when the latter is lifted into the lid. Ihe lugs 26 also provide means whereby the table l3 may be readily grasped by the user when swinging the frame upward into the lid. The table also at this time provides the user with means for lifting and keeping the lower or tail ends of the garments out of contact with the case as the frame is raised and swung into the lid so as not to soil the garments should they be allowed tojtrail or wipe over the walls of the case or any articles which may be packed in the body section I thereof. The user maintains the table in its raised position until the frame snaps into the lid, whereupon the table I3 is lowered and the lower or free ends of the garments are allowed to come to rest in the body of the case to the rear of the partition 5. The frame is held in its raised position in the lid by the spring catches 23. The lid may be provided with stops 21 on the rear side of the frame to limit the distance to which the frame may be swung back into the lid.

After the frame has been packed and swung into the lid, the garments are held in packed position on the frame by means of a retaining curtain 28. The latter is secured in the lid above the frame and is swingable from a position folded back over the lid as in Fig. 1, to a; position over the garments packed on the frame as shown in Fig. 3. This curtain carries adjacent its free end a metal cross-rod 29 projecting beyond the sides of the curtain and engageable in any one of a number of notches or slots 36 in keeper plates 3| secured to the side arms ill of the frame adjacent their inner ends. By adjusting the rod along these keeper plates suitable tension may be placed on the curtain to hold the garments in closely compact and compressed condition on the frame. The curtain, if made long enough, will continue below the rod so as to extend down into the body of the case and cover the portions of the garments extending into the same as shown in Fig. 3. The

reached by the curtain rod 29.

When the frame has been packed and retained in the lid by the curtain, the lid may be closed against the body section I of the case and be secured thereto through the medium of the key and bolt locking devices 33, 34 on the front wall of the case, as shown in Fig. 1. The handle 35, by which the case is carried, is also secured to this wall, as shown.

To unpack the frame, either to remove all of the garments therefrom or to remove only the particular garment or garments desired, the curtain 28 is released from the frame and draped back over the upper end of the raised lid, as shown in Fig. l. The operator then grasps the sides of the table [3 and raises the same to lift the tail ends of the garments out of the body of the case. At the same time the frame is'drawn forward out of the lid past the catches and swung down into its lowered position with the table l3 extended as shown in Fig. 2. The uppermost garments are removed from the frame by taking out their supporting and carrying rods I5 until the particular garment desired is uppermost on the table, whereupon that garment is removed. The others may be replaced in the case and the frame swung back into the lid and be retained therein by the curtain if desired. With the table l3 extending beyond the body of the case, it will be observed that the garments are kept out of contact with the case and therefore are prevented from being soiled as they are removed from the frame.

Ordinarily a separate rod l5 is employed for attaching each garment to the frame, except in the case of thin dresses in which event one or more of them may be looped over a single rod if desired. With a rod for each of the garments, the latter may be handled individually in being applied to and removed from the frame. Moreover, with a rod for each garment, the latter may be anchored to the frame at the time of packing, thereby holding the garment from displacement while being straightened out and adjusted to prevent wrinkling or creasing when finally packed in the lid.

Another important feature of my invention resides in having the rods l5 arranged or disposed along the length of the carrying frame. This positions the rods in the same general plane of the frame and distributes the bulk of the garments on the opposite sides of the frame along the length of the same as indicated in Fig. 3. Thus the loops in the garments at the rods are spaced along the length of the frame and are not piled one on top of the other as would be the case should the attaching means for the various garments be located in superimposed relation at one point in the length of the frame. Consequently, with my improvement, the garments when on the frame will readily occupy the relatively shallow space or compartment as provided by the lid and thus not require a deep lid thereby increasing the overall dimensions of the case.

The curtain 28 is also an important feature of my invention in that it is co-extensive with the frame and thus completely covers all portions of the outer sides of the garments on the frame. I

The curtain thus serves to hold the garments in smooth and unwrinkled form and with the curtain carried by the lid, the frame and the lid may be moved in unison when opening .and closing the lid. The curtain not only keeps the garments in compressed form on the frame, but also prevents them from sagging or dropping into the body of the case when the lid is lowered. Moreover, with the curtain completely covering the garments on the frame,'the curtain will protect the garments in the lid from contact with any of the articles in the body of the case. 'Thus no opportunity is afforded to soil the garments by contact with such articles. Furthermore, with the frame mounted in and carried by the lid and movable in unison therewith in opening and closing the lid, free access may be had to the interior of the body of the case without hindrance by the garments in the lid. Thus the user of the case may open it and put in or take out any articles in the body of the case without being required to lift or touch the garment carrying frame or be hindered by it. This storage feature, so to speak, with respect to all the garments being retained in the lid and out of the way is another important feature of my invention in that it facilitates the use of the body of the case without being hindered in any way by the garments retained in the lid. Obviously the user will have more occasion to have access to the small articles in the body of the case than to the garments in the lid and with the frame mounted in and carried by the lid and the garments retained and protected by the curtain, the use of the case is considerably facilitated.

The extensible member or packing table 58 is also an important feature of the invention. It not only provides a rest or support for the garments while being attached to and released from the frame, but provides means for moving the frame into and out of the case as well as permitting the'user to lift the entire mass of all of the garments on the frame out of the body of the case and free them from contact with the case or any of the articles packed therein when swinging the frame into and out of the lid. This is made possible by havingthe member l3 pivotally connected with the outer end of the frame and swingable against the same to be beneath the portions of the garments on the outer side of the frame. This connection also permits the member to lie along the frame and thus'fit therewith in the lid of the case. Moreover, the men1- ber l3 when extended prevents the portions of 1 the garments hanging thereover exterior'of the case from being soiled by the front wall of the.

case or the handle thereon and from being torn by the other fixtures on said wall by keeping the garments out of contact therewith. Furthermore, said member when extended lengthens the support for the garments beyond the case and thus provides an effective support for garments which are considerably longer than the confines of the case.

To hold the lid in raised position so that the garment carrying frame may be moved independently thereof I provide hinged braces or brackets 3t, 36 at the sides of the lid. These brackets are of the usual break joint type as employed in cases of this character and autcrnatically lock as soon as the lid has been raised to its fullest open position.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously changed and modified Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, except as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hand carried luggage case, comprising hingedly connected body and cover sections, a garment carrying frame pivotally mounted at its inner end in one of said sections, said frame having side arms and a cross-bar at its outer end to support garments in folded form thereover, rods for attaching the garments to the frame and having pins at the opposite ends of the same, and means in the form of recesses and spring clips on the respective arms and disposed along the length of the same to receive the pins at the v ends of the rods for detachably connecting the same to the frame, the recesses and the clips being so formed that a direct outward pull on the rods transversely of the frame will immediately release the rods from the frame.

2. A hand carried luggage case, comprising hingedly connected body and cover sections, a garment carrying element pivotally mounted at its inner end in the cover section and adapted to support a garment in folded form over its outer end with portions of the garment on opposite sides of the element, a flexible curtain carried by the cover section and swingable over the outer end of the element to cover the portion of the garment on the outer side thereof, brackets carried by the element on its outer side adjacent its connection with the cover section, and means carried by the curtain adjacent its free end and engageable with the brackets for holding the curtain over the element, said brackets having notches spaced along the length of the frame at the sides thereof whereby the tension of the curtain may be adjusted.

WILLIAM WINTZ. 

